Deleting an Area or Department in OpenStudio is a soft delete: the record is flagged as deleted and moved to the Recycle Bin. It can be restored at any time and is not permanently removed from the database.
Pre-conditions for deletion
- You need the
can_delete_structurespermission, or be the Founder. Without it the delete button is not shown. - Areas can only be deleted when they contain no active Departments. The delete button is disabled (greyed out) as long as any Department exists inside the Area.
- Default structures (system-created) cannot be deleted by anyone except the Founder.
What happens to users when a Department is deleted?
A confirmation page is shown before the deletion is processed. You will be asked to choose what happens to the users currently assigned to the Department:
- Move them to another Department — select a destination from the dropdown. All affected users are reassigned automatically.
- Leave them unassigned — select the blank option. Users lose their structure assignment and will appear under the Unassigned filter in Manage Memberships.
The Recycle Bin
Deleted structures are accessible from the Recycle Bin button in the top-right of the Areas list. Access requires the can_recycle_structures permission or Founder status.
The Recycle Bin lists all deleted structures with their type (Area or Department), parent Area, and deletion date. To restore a structure click Restore next to it — the structure immediately becomes active again.
Note: Restoring a Department does not automatically reassign users who were moved or unassigned at deletion time. Reassign them manually using Manage Memberships.
